Ahmed Al Hashemi, a 14-year-old piano prodigy from the UAE, is making waves in the music world. Mastering pieces from Beethoven to Bach and even composing his own music, Ahmed’s talent is undeniable.
However, Ahmed’s path to musical excellence was not without challenges. Diagnosed with autism at just one year and eight months old, his journey has been uniquely difficult.
His mother, Eiman Al Aleeli, a former banker residing in Abu Dhabi, shared with Gulf News: “It took me many months to come to terms with his diagnosis. It completely changed my life.”
In a dream one night, Al Aleeli heard her two-year-old son, who had not yet learned to speak, encouraging her not to give up on him.
“I realized my child needed me, and I decided to fully dedicate myself to him,” she said.
Al Aleeli began enrolling Ahmed in extracurricular activities to discover his interests. It was through this exploration that she discovered his passion for music. She observed Ahmed closely and began encouraging him to play the keyboard.
She soon found that Ahmed had a remarkable ability to listen to a piece of music once and then replicate it.
“On one occasion, when he was very upset, he stayed up playing his keyboard. I could clearly understand the emotions he was conveying through his music,” she recalled.
Music became Ahmed’s powerful means of self-expression.
Driven by her son’s potential, Al Aleeli dedicated herself to supporting Ahmed’s musical journey. After meeting numerous piano teachers, she eventually found one who believed in Ahmed’s talent as much as she did.
His teacher recognized that Ahmed not only played complex pieces by ear but also possessed perfect pitch—the ability to identify notes without any reference.
Today, Ahmed’s room is adorned with awards and certificates from various national and international music competitions. He often outperforms adult competitors and his self-composed pieces evoke strong emotions in his audiences.
Al Aleeli’s mission now extends beyond her son’s success. She aims to shift perceptions of autism, advocating that it should be seen not as a disability but as a unique way of experiencing the world.
